Velocipede



b e e h S S t e e h S 2 G E ND IE KP .w A .3 E

(NO Model.)

No. 349,801. Patented'SQpt. 28, 1886.

N. PETERS. Egon-litho ra hy. Wnshingmn, D. c.

V UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER A. KING, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

.VELQCIPEDE.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,801, dateasebtemberaa, 1886.

Application filed June 8, 1886. Serial No. 204,535. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, HOMER A. KJNG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes,which improvetion with some of my improvements more fully described inmy Patents Nos, 327,397, 327,954,

and 341,383, and applications filed January and May10, 1866.

Referring to the drawings,similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the tricycle shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is aside elevation sectional view, being the right-hand side of tricycle,

Fig. 1, taken on the broken line a? a.

Fig.3 is an enlarged view of one of the levers andthe means ofincreasing the speed orpower by adjusting the point of connection to thelevers. I The flexible connection is at tached to the link I, which ispivoted in the link I, which is pivoted on the lever so that the lowerpart, when thrown backward, increases the leverage-power, and whenthrown forward the speed is increased, and this change is effected bythe forward or backward movement of the treadle R, which may be easilyeffected by the foot.

Fig. 4c is a top View of the tube J from the fork of the steering-wheelto the point below the axle where the-bracket t is attached to theperpendicular lever, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The arm t is secured tothehandlebar shaft, which turns with the steering-wheel,- and the endsof the bar 13 are connected by cords or wires t, either through the tubeJ or direct, as shown by broken lines, to the bracket at t, which iscaused thus to turn with the steeringwheel, and the movement of theperpendicular lever t moves the collar 0,1nany-pointed at both ends, tothe right or left, so that .the drive-wheel on the inner part of thecircle is always set at liberty, while the other drivewheel propels thevehicle around the curve, and when the vehicle is moving in adire'ctline both ends of the collar 0 connect at both ends with themany-pointed collars, which revolve with the central continuous shaft,and the outer half-axles,to which the wheel-flanges are secured allrevolvingitogethembnt when turning a curve the continuous central axleturns within the loose wheel. and its half-axle. 1 vAcontinuoustube-connection rod,-as shownin Figs. 15 and 20, maybe used in the tubeJ.

Fig.5 also shows the'tube J upon the-tube J,whieh rests upon thesprings" N, and'they upon boxes within which the-separated axlerevolves, and with butjlittle frietiomif my antifriction adjustablespool-bearings'are used, as shown in Fig. 6. A double set of movableratchets should be used in the drums B and B, Fig. 5, and arranged to beshifted by a 'lever, sothat one set of ratchets can. be used to run thetricycle forward and the otherset to run it backward.

Fig. 7 shows the rollers F and F, used to roll out the metallic hollowfelly-rims shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10,11, and 12, the broken linesindicating slight changes to be made to adapt the rolls to the differentforms, all involving the same principle of constructinga hollowfelly-rim from one piece of metal withcentral elevation, and uniting theparts by further bending at '0 and o and bringing the inner edgestogether, or oneor both of the outer edges, by folding in and unitingthem in a perpendicular or nearly perpendicular line and brazing orriveting them, both sides of the metal being accessible at this point.The inner convex portion may be in waves or any other protuberant form.The side projections shown and described in the original applica-' tionfrom the upper and outer part of the central elevation may alsobeconstructedon this style longer than shown in the drawings, and

IOO

My improved endless rubber tire is copstructed with a protuberant outersurface and with an open surface on the inner side, and may haveopenings in the inner side of each side projection,to be crowded overand fit the projections from the central elevation, andv thus hold therubber tire in place. In Fig. 8 the upright lines coming to a pointindicate the form which they are in when the rim comes from therollers,and after being bent at 'v and t, after riveting orbrazin g atthe properplace, they are bent outward and formed into shape, then bentdown as desired.

Fig. 13 shows the tricycle, Fig. 1, constructed with one side like Fig.14, with the small steering-wheel in the rear and in line with one ofthe large wheels. Fig. 14 shows one side of the tricycle used as abicycle steered by the small wheel in the rear, the two wheels beingheld at a fixed distance apart by the framesection G, G, G, G, and G.The curved backbone or steering-shaft M is held in bearings at n and12', whether made as shown in Fig. 14 or made in sections, as shown,inclosed in the curved case M, as shown in Fig. 15, whether with orwithout the rollers in the joint, as shown in. Fig. 21. Fig. 14 alsoshows rear views of saddle.

A part of or all the bearings a, a, n, and n may be provided with myanti-friction roller.- bearings. (Shown in detached views in Figs. 14and 15.) The frame G, with saddle-spring support G, fulcrum branch G,with or without a brace above or below, and branches G and G, may beforged forboth sides of the bicycle in one piece, or each side may beseparate and united by bolts or otherwise at the bearings a and n. Anupright steeringhead may be used; but I prefer to have the handle-barsconnected directly and firmly to the steering-shaft M. The bearings nand n in Fig. 15 need not be in line, but when constructed as in Fig. 14they should be in line or nearly in line with each other, and thehandles should be parallel or nearly parallel with a line passingthrough the bearings 12 and n, so that the depressionof the right handlewill turn the bicycle to the right, or the depression of the left handlewill turn the bicycle to the left.

Fig. 16 shows my improved hub 1, shown and claimed in a formerapplication, with the followingimprovements, shown onlyin thisapplication: The tube U is made with a shoulder, against which the framemay press at G and united with or forming the inclined collar S for theinner bearing for the rollers S; or the collar may fit over the tube U,firmly or loosely against a shoulder 011 the tube, the tube extendingthrough the collar 8' and inward to form a loose parallel bearing in thehub to hold the wheel in place should the roller bearings becomemisplaced, and enabling a person to tighten the roller-bearings byturning the nuts on one or both ends of the axle U; but it is better toinsert a washer between the outer end of the collar S and the innershoulder on the tube U, or between the collar and the drumB; also,improvements in using the shaft U without nuts, and dispensing with thenuts heretofore used on the ends of shaft U, though it might be well touse one'against which the screw-head U may be turned to act as alock-nut; also, the improvement in the spring 0, made out ofsheet-steel, with the points bent out for bearin gs or fulcra forthedogconnection 0', (shown also by a side View in Fig. 17,) whichencircles the bearing of the drum B and is held, without screws, fromturning by holes in it fitting over pins headed in the partition-wall ofdrum B, the pivot-bearing of the spring holding the dog-connection 0",and its pressure against the drum B holds the spring in place, so thatthe depression of lever E causes drum B to move backward and throw thedogs 0 into the ratchet O, and at the same time move drum B forward topropel the bicycle, and atv the same time, by the shafts U and U and theconnections 0, O, O, and O, the drums and dogs on the other side aremoved in the opposite directions, and the foot and lever on that sideare raised ready to be depressed to propel the vehicle forward without amoment s loss of time. This connection through the hub enables the riderto bear his weight upon the levers and utilize his weight as well as hismuscle, and there being no weight upon these inner shafts thisconnection adds very little friction.

Fig. 18 is a top view of the handle-bars, and Fig. 19 is an enlargedview of the drum B in 'Fig. 14 and its surroundings, though the brace Gcan be omitted and the bicycle be joints of the steering-connectioninclosed in the backbone M, Fig. 15.

Some of these improvements were described in the original application,filed January 20, 1 1886, Serial N 0. 189,181, which has been divided,this making case third springing from v the original application, andIhcreby disclaim in this application whatever is described and claimedin either of the other pending appli-, 1 cations.

Having thus described my invention,what I I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tricycle propelled by levers with flexible connection topropelling-drums, the treadle B, in combination with the eccentric I andconnection with the eccentric I, and the link I, substantially as setforth, to change the point of connection with the lever to increase thespeed or power.

2. The centrally-located collar 0, moved longitudinally on the centralaxle by means, substantially as set forth, by which the steering wheeloperates the collar 0 automatically, releasing the half-axle and itsdrive-wheel on the inner side of the circle in turning a curve.

3. The combination of the frame J with the tube J, springs N, and axleK, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A hollow felly-rim constructed, substantially as set forth, from onepiece of metal bent to form a protuberant surface toward the hub, andbent inward at v and o, bringing the two surfaces together inaperpendicular or nearly perpendicular position when in the wheel,andunited by brazing or riveting, and forming the rubber tire bed with apart elevated above the usual concave form.

5. A hollow felly constructed of one piece of metal with the edgesunited on the outside of the rim, between the outer sides of the sideflanges, and in line or parallel or nearly parallel with a line runningthrough the felly-rim and center of the hub of a wheel.

, 6. The bicycle-frame section G, G, G, G', and G".

7. In a bicycle steered by the smaller wheel in the rear of thedriving-wheel, the combination of a bent, curved, or partly-curvedsteering-shaft held at or toward each end in a frame in bearings, and ahandle-bar with arms bent backward to bring the handles parallel ornearly parallel to each other, and parallel or nearly parallel to a linerunning through the bearings of the steering-shaft, so that thedepression of the handle on the right will turn the bicycle to theright, or the depression of the left handle-bar will steer thebieycletotheleft.

8. A bicycle steered by the smaller wheel in the rear of thedriving-wheel, and having roller-bearings between thesteering-connection and the bearings in the frame.

9. The combination of the hub y with the drums B and B, the tube U.,roller-bearings S, frame G, and nuts U, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

10. The combination of the hub y, ratchet 0, dogs 0, connection 0",spring 0, and drums B and 13, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

11. The combination of the hub y, drums B and 13, connections 0, O, O,and O, with the screw U, shafts U and U, and connection to levers E,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HOMER A. KING.

Witnesses:

' ALLEN WEBs'rER,

CHAS. CULVER.

